House bill would fund Holocaust education programs in schools

Bipartisan slate of House members to introduce a bill that would grant money to Holocaust education in schools.

Contact Editor

JTA and Arutz Sheva Staff, 10/04/18 04:16

Holocaust exhibition (illustration)

iStock

A bipartisan slate of House members is set to introduce a bill that would grant money to Holocaust education in schools, JTA reported Monday.

The Never Again Education Act would establish the Holocaust Education Assistance Program Fund in the U.S. Treasury. A 12-member board would disburse the money to schools.

A draft of the bill, which is to be introduced Tuesday in the U.S. House of Representatives, does not designate how much money should go to the fund. However, it says the fund may accept private donations.

The lead sponsor of the legislation is Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY).

“Today, those who deny that the Holocaust occurred or distort the true nature of the Holocaust continue to find forums, especially online; this denial and distortion dishonors those who were persecuted, and murdered,” the draft of the bill says.

“This makes it even more of a national imperative to educate students in the United States so that they may explore the lessons that the Holocaust provides for all people, sensitize communities to the circumstances that gave rise to the Holocaust, and help youth be less susceptible to the falsehood of Holocaust denial and distortion and to the destructive messages of hate that arise from Holocaust denial and distortion.”

Maloney will launch the bill on Tuesday at the Olga Lengyel Institute for Holocaust Studies and Human Rights in New York City, accompanied by representatives of Hadassah, B’nai B’rith International and the Association of Holocaust Organizations.

The bill requires every public middle and high school in the state to include in their curriculum instruction on the Holocaust and other acts of genocide, as defined by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and California are other states that require some measure of Holocaust and genocide education.